From Igniting Talents to Becoming a Demon God Section 23

At that thought, he quickly changed the subject.

The two of them chatted on and off, and during that time they also mentioned Zhao Yuanqing, Lin Ze, and the others.

"I heard Lin Ze's about to get promoted again. That guy really is doing better and better. Wonder what kind of dumb luck he stumbled into."

"And Yuhan too. I heard she closed several big deals at the jewelry store last month. Looks like she's even getting ready to buy a car."

A trace of envy flashed through Xiao Yang's eyes. No one didn't want to make something of themselves.

Lu Chao stood beside them, listening quietly. For some reason, his heart was surprisingly calm.

Rustle, rustle!

Just then, movement suddenly came through the earpiece.

Lu Chao tilted his head slightly, his gaze passing over the noisy booths and hall toward the bar's main entrance.

Several security guards stood on either side of the door, led by Zhou Qiang, as if waiting to receive someone.

"What a grand entrance..."

His eyes narrowed, and Lu Chao sensed that something about the atmosphere was off.

Very soon, the view shifted, and two thick beams of light swept in from outside.

A Ruiguang sedan with hard, cold lines and an all-black body slowly drove over and stopped by the roadside.

The valet in charge of parking hurried forward and opened the car door for them.

"Master Xu."

Amid the respectful greeting, three or four figures stepped out of the car.

The servers and burly security men waiting at the entrance all lowered their heads slightly, standing respectfully on either side.

Even Zhou Qiang, in a rare sight, gave a slight bow, revealing a respectful bearing.

"Master Xu?"

Lu Chao's gaze flickered as he looked toward the center of the arriving group.

It was an old man dressed in a black Tang suit.

His hair was gray-white, and his face was thin, yet there were not many wrinkles. Instead, his complexion was rosy, giving him a faint, long-held dignity of someone accustomed to standing above others.

As he walked into the bar, the previously noisy hall instantly fell silent.

Whether it was the pounding electronic music or the shouted drinking noises, all of it vanished. Many gazes shot over from the booths and dance floor.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Their footsteps were crisp. The group strode forward steadily and boldly, their presence powerful. The crowd in the packed hall subconsciously parted to form a path, watching them head toward the second floor of the bar.

"Damn, it's actually Master Xu!"

Xiao Yang reacted first. He leaned in a little closer and lowered his excited voice. "I didn't expect Brother Hao to be entertaining him today. He's one of the elders of Hongyi Society..."

He had clearly recognized the gray-haired old man's identity, and his eyes were filled with envy and awe.

As one of the three largest gangs in Iron Ring District, Hongyi Society was famous for valuing loyalty. Its rules, in the minds of many people in Iron Ring District, were even more effective than some laws.

"So it's him..."

Lu Chao was slightly startled, but quickly came back to himself and understood the old man's identity.

Mountain-Crossing Tiger, Xu Xiaoxing.

Rumor had it that he had once been Brother Hao's guide into the trade.

As if sensing his gaze, Xu Xiaoxing, who had already reached the second floor, suddenly paused. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he turned his head toward the hall.

It was like a sleeping male tiger opening a slit of its eyes, carrying a trace of invisible weight.

Lu Chao quickly withdrew his gaze. The other security guards and guests who had looked over out of curiosity also lowered their heads as if jolted by electricity.

"Quite a few new faces, aren't there?"

Taking everything in, Xu Xiaoxing's tone was calm, with no emotion audible in it.

But the other members of Hongyi Society behind him all stopped as well.

"Yes, Master Xu."

"Business at the bar has been pretty good recently, and we've been a little short-handed, so we hired a few newcomers."

Zhou Qiang, half a step behind him, hurriedly nodded and gave an explanation.

"Newcomers?"

Yet the atmosphere froze.

Xu Xiaoxing withdrew his gaze and glanced sideways at Zhou Qiang.

"They're probably those mud-legged brats from the welfare home again, aren't they?"

"Back then, in my eyes, Ah Hao was just a newcomer too. Now he's gotten so high and mighty that even if I want to see him, I have to wait for his mood."

At those words, Zhou Qiang's eyes changed slightly.

A fine sheen of sweat gradually appeared on their faces, and a silent atmosphere shrouded the corridor.

Until finally, just as the air froze and grew ever more suffocating—

"Haha, Master Xu, you flatter me too much."

Chen Junhao had appeared at the end of the corridor at some point, the gold-trimmed wooden door of the private room behind him standing wide open.

"I've already brewed the tea, and I was just waiting for you to come and give it a taste."

"Ah Qiang, go tell the others not to disturb us."

Zhou Qiang hurriedly nodded at that, as if a great weight had been lifted off him.

Xu Xiaoxing, dressed in a black Tang suit, gave a cold snort and locked eyes with Chen Junhao for several seconds.

In the end, his expression eased slightly.

Then he led the men behind him forward and into the private room.

The night was as dark as ink. Two in the morning.

Lu Chao changed out of his security guard's suit uniform and left the bar together with Xiao Yang.

The lights on both sides of the street were dim yellow, and there were few figures around.

A drunk lay collapsed in a corner, curled up as the sour, rancid stench of vomit drifted through the air, especially pungent.

"I heard Master Xu came looking for Brother Hao because of something in Hongyi Society."

"The old man almost never shows himself. I wonder if the society's making some big move this time."

On the road, Xiao Yang was still savoring what he had seen earlier. His tone was excited, full of envy for the imposing presence of Master Xu and the others.

As he spoke and speculated, there was no lack of yearning and admiration for Hongyi Society in his words.

Lu Chao walked through the night without rushing to reply.

He subconsciously glanced back at Dreamfire Bar. Its neon sign was gradually going dark, and the rolling metal shutters were closing one after another.

"Brother Hao has never really wanted us getting involved in gang matters."

Lu Chao spoke softly, offering Xiao Yang a veiled word of advice.

For anyone who had come out of the orphanage, as long as they asked Brother Hao for help, he would lend a hand.

There was only one exception—joining a gang.

It inevitably made him think of those gang corpses that had been taken away by the cleaners.

Once you became one of them, there was no turning back.

"Is that so?"

Xiao Yang smiled dismissively, then waved a hand and said casually, "But look at Lin Ze and Yuhan. They're doing pretty well now... If I get the chance, I still want to try."

He clearly had not taken the advice to heart. His face was filled with longing for a better future.

For many people in the Iron Ring District, being able to join a large gang like Hongyi Society did, to a certain extent, represent a change of fate.

Seeing this, Lu Chao did not try to persuade him further.

When they reached the street corner and parted one after the other, he watched Xiao Yang's back disappear beneath the streetlights.

Because they lacked education and academic credentials, people like them from the orphanage had only a handful of choices.

But...

His thoughts were clear. From beginning to end, he had only ever had one goal.

And that was—

Raise his Vitality and get into the Patrol Bureau!